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Korean · TOPIK Band 1 · Chapter 5

어느 나라 사람이에요?Where are you from?

Eoneu nara saram-ieyo?

State your nationality and country. Tell where you're from with "[country] 사람이에요", and learn the negative N이/가 아니에요 ("is not…"). Ask with 어느 (which — 어느 나라) and 어디 (where). The culture section covers Korean names and 호칭 (how to address people).

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어느 나라 사람이에요?— Which Country Are You From?

  1. Minsu마ma이i클keul씨ssi는neun어eo느neu나na라ra사sa람ram이i에e요yo?Michael, which country are you from?
  2. Michael저jeo는neun미mi국guk사sa람ram이i에e요yo.I'm American.
  3. Minsu아a,미mi국guk사sa람ram이i에e요yo?저jeo는neun한han국guk사sa람ram이i에e요yo.Oh, American? I'm Korean.

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일본 사람이 아니에요— Not Japanese

  1. Jieun마ma이i클keul씨ssi는neun일il본bon사sa람ram이i에e요yo?Michael, are you Japanese?
  2. Michael아a니ni요yo,일il본bon사sa람ram이i아a니ni에e요yo.미mi국guk사sa람ram이i에e요yo.No, I'm not Japanese. I'm American.
  3. Jieun아a,외oe국gug인in이i에e요yo?한han국gug은eun처cheo음eum이i에e요yo?Oh, you're a foreigner? Is this your first time in Korea?
  4. Michael네ne,처cheo음eum이i에e요yo.Yes, it's my first time.

Vocabulary

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나na라ra

nouncountry

한han국guk

nounKorea

외oe국guk

nounforeign country

외oe국gug인in

nounforeigner

어eo느neu

det.which

어eo디di

pronounwhere

미mi국guk

nounUSA

일il본bon

nounJapan

중jung국guk

nounChina

어eo떻tteo게ke

adverbhow

처cheo음eum

nounfirst time, beginning

Grammar

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The negative: N이/가 아니에요

Explanation

"…이 아니다" is the opposite of 이다. The form "[noun]이/가 아니에요" means "is not …". Key point: the noun before 아니다 takes 이/가, NOT 은/는 — 이 after a consonant, 가 after a vowel. The polite form is 아니에요.

Examples

  • 저는 일본 사람이 아니에요.I'm not Japanese.
  • 의사가 아니에요. 학생이에요.(I)'m not a doctor. (I)'m a student.
  • 외국인이 아니에요. 한국 사람이에요.(I)'m not a foreigner. (I)'m Korean.

Grammar

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어느 (which N) · 어디 (where)

Explanation

어느 is a determiner meaning "which" and always comes before a noun: 어느 나라 (which country). 어디 is a pronoun meaning "where". To ask where someone is from, Korean uses two forms: formal "어느 나라 사람이에요?" and casual "어디 사람이에요?". The full place use of 어디 is covered in chapter 14.

Examples

  • 어느 나라 사람이에요?Which country are you from?
  • 어디 사람이에요?Where are you from? (casual)
  • 친구가 어느 나라 사람이에요?Which country is your friend from?

Culture

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한국 사람의 이름과 호칭How Korean names & 호칭 work

A Korean introduces themselves family-name first — and after that you almost never use their given name alone. How you address someone (호칭) matters more than the name itself.

Family name first

김민수 = family name 김 (Kim) + given name 민수. Most family names are one syllable (김, 이, 박, 최, 정); given names are usually two. The order is the reverse of English, so 민수 — even though it comes second — is the given name.

Don't use the bare given name

Calling an adult just "민수" can sound blunt unless you're close and similar in age. The safe default is given name + 씨 (민수 씨) — polite and neutral among peers and colleagues.

Titles beat names

For anyone with a role, use the title: 선생님 (teacher), 사장님 (boss), 의사 선생님 (doctor). You address a teacher as 선생님, never by name. The respectful suffix 님 is doing the work.

There is no everyday "you"

Korean mostly avoids 너/당신. Instead of "What is your name?" you simply drop the pronoun — 이름이 뭐예요?. And you address the other person with 씨 or a title, not "you". 당신 sounds distant or even confrontational, so don't reach for it.

Quick guide: peer → 민수 씨 · teacher → 선생님 · an older person you're close to → a kin term (next section) · a stranger → a title if there is one, otherwise just be indirect. When unsure, 씨 + name is the safe move.

Hangul

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한글 복습: 비음화와 나라 이름— Hangul Review: Nasalization and Country Names

These are cases where a final ㄱ·ㄷ·ㅂ turns nasal because of a following ㄴ·ㅁ. The spelling stays; only the sound softens.

  • 한국말hangungmalfinal ㄱ + ㅁ → ㅇ — "the Korean language"
  • 십만simmanfinal ㅂ + ㅁ → ㅁ — "a hundred thousand"
  • 입니다imnidafinal ㅂ + ㄴ → ㅁ — the formal "is" ending
  • 감사합니다gamsahamnidasame rule inside "thank you" (ch2)

Read the country names aloud. They all carry a 받침, perfect reading practice for this chapter:

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